Bibliography of Canadiana Published in Great Britain, 1519-1763

Martin L. Nicolai is a history lecturer at Queen’s University in
Kingston.

This comprehensive bibliography was compiled by Dr. Freda Waldon, former
Chief Librarian of the Hamilton Public Library, who died in 1973, and
has been enlarged and revised for publication by William Morley, former
Head of Special Collections at Queen’s University. Prepared in English
and French, it lists 865 titles, including some broadsheets and maps, in
chronological order by year of publication, giving the author where
known; the full title; subsequent editions; and a detailed description
of the contents of each work. National Union Catalogue and British
Library General Catalogue numbers are provided, along with Canadian
library locations for titles available in Canada.

The bibliography includes books published in Britain between 1519 and
1763 that concern, at least in part, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay, Nova
Scotia, Canada, Acadia, and Louisbourg. Many of these works were
previously published in other languages, French in particular. Among the
authors are English navigators, geographers, and military officers,
including Richard Hakluyt, Sir Hovenden Walker, and Jeffrey Amherst;
Americans such as Cotton Mather, Sir William Pepperell, and William
Shirley; and Frenchmen such as Jacques Cartier, Marc Lescarbot, Louis
Hennepin, the Baron de Lahontan, and Pierre-Franзois–Xavier de
Charlevoix. The chronological organization of the bibliography and the
accompanying notes provide a comprehensive view of English literary
reactions to such events as the visit of four Iroquois chiefs to Queen
Anne in 1710, the Siege of Quebec in 1759, and the debate of the early
1760s over which of Britain’s conquests, Canada or Guadeloupe, the
government should strive to keep in the peace negotiations.

Waldon’s book is an indispensable reference work for academic
libraries and a valuable resource for historians working on early
Canada.